The clash between Limerick, reigning All-Ireland champions, and Waterford, reigning Allianz League champions on Saturday is the biggest attraction in another exciting weekend of ‘round robin’ action in the GAA hurling Munster and Leinster championships.
Impressive wins for Limerick (over Cork) and Waterford (over Tipperary) last Sunday has nicely teed up Saturday’s clash for what promises to be a cracking contest.
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The fixtures are as follow
SATURDAY
Leinster (Round 2)
Wexford v Dublin, Chadwicks Wexford Park, 5.0
Kilkenny v Laois, UPMC Nowlan Park, 5.30
Galway v Westmeath, Pearse Stadium, 6.0
Munster (Round 2)
Limerick v Waterford, TUS Gaelic Grounds, 7.0
Sunday
Munster (Round 2)
Tipperary v Clare, FBD Semple Stadium, 2.0
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GALWAY v WESTMEATH
They meet for the first time in six years, with Galway having won the last clash by 17 points in the 2016 Leinster quarter-final.
LAST FIVE CHAMPIONSHIP CLASHES
2016: Galway 3-27 Westmeath 0-19 (Leinster quarter-final)
2012: Galway 5-19 Westmeath 4-12 (Leinster quarter-final)
2011: Galway 4-17 Westmeath 2-14 (Leinster quarter-final)
2006: Galway 3-21 Westmeath 0-6 (All-Ireland qualifiers)
1984: Galway 2-17 Westmeath 2-8 (All-Ireland quarter-final)
*Galway have scored a total of 23 goals in their last six championship meetings with Westmeath.
*Galway have beaten Westmeath by an average of 14 points in their last five championship meetings.
*Conor Cooney (0-7, 0-4 frees, 0-2 ‘65s’) was Galway’s top scorer in their draw with Wexford last Saturday while Killian Doyle (0-14, 0-11 frees) was Westmeath’s top marksman in their 5-23 to 1-19 defeat by Kilkenny.
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WEXFORD v DUBLIN
They drew when they last met in the Leinster ‘round robin’ in 2019. Wexford won by two points in 2018.
LAST FIVE CHAMPIONSHIP MEETINGS
2019: Dublin 1-22 Wexford 2-19 (Leinster ‘round robin)
2018: Wexford 0-22 Dublin 2-14 (Leinster ‘round robin)
2016: Dublin 2-19 Wexford 0-12 (Leinster quarter-final)
2014: Dublin 0-22 Wexford 1-14 (Leinster semi-final)
2013: Dublin 1-17 Wexford 0-12 (Leinster SH quarter-final) Replay
*Dublin have lost only once to Wexford (2018) in their last six championship meetings.
*Dublin made a winning start to their campaign last weekend, beating Laois by two points. Donal Burke was their top scorer on 0-13 (0-8 frees). Wexford staged a late rally to draw with Galway. Rory O’Connor was top scorer on 0-7 (0-5 frees)
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KILKENNY v LAOIS
This will be their first clash in the Leinster championship since 1999 when Kilkenny won a semi-final by 6-21 to 1-14. It was Brian Cody’s first championship game in his first season as Kilkenny manager. DJ Carey (2-3), Ken O’Shea (2-1), John Power (1-1) top-scored for Kilkenny, while Niall Rigney (1-8) was leading marksman for Laois.
LAST FIVE CHAMPIONSHIP MEETINGS
1999: Kilkenny 6-21 Laois 1-14 (Leinster semi-final)
1998: Kilkenny 3-11 Laois 1-14 (Leinster semi-final)
1995: Kilkenny 2-14 Laois 2-12 (Leinster quarter-final)
1984: Kilkenny 4-15 Laois 1-16 (Leinster quarter-final)
1972: Kilkenny 5-14 Laois 5-7 (Leinster semi-final)
*Laois are seeking their first championship win over Kilkenny since the 1951 Leinster semi-final which they won by 5-10 to 2-7.
*It’s 25-6 in wins for Kilkenny in their 31 championship meetings with Laois.
*Kilkenny were easy winners over Westmeath last Saturday with Austin Murphy (0-7, 0-6 frees) and TJ Reid (1-5, 0-2 frees, 0-1 ‘65’) top scorers in their 5-23 to 1-19 win.
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LIMERICK v WATERFORD
Waterford are seeking their first championship win over Waterford since 2011 when they won a Munster semi-final by a point. Limerick have won all five clashes since then, the most recent coming in last year’s All-Ireland semi-final.
LAST FIVE CHAMPIONSHIP MEETINGS
2021: Limerick 1-25 Waterford 0-17 (All-Ireland semi-final)
2020: Limerick 0-30 Waterford 0-19 (All-Ireland final)
2020: Limerick 0-25 Waterford 0-21 (Munster final)
2019: Limerick 2-24 Waterford 0-10 (Munster round robin)
2018: Limerick 2-26 Waterford 1-16 (Munster round robin)
*This rivalry goes back to 1912 when they first met in the championship. In all, they have met 42 times with Limerick having won 25 to Waterford’s 14 while there were the three draws. The last draw was in 2009 - Waterford won the replay.
*Goals have been scarce in recent Limerick-Waterford championship games. Limerick’s goal in last year’s All-Ireland semi-final was the only one scored in the last three games. Waterford have scored no goals in their last four championship meetings with Limerick.
*Aaron Gillane (1-4, 0-2 frees) was Limerick’s top scorer in their 2-25 to 1-17 win over Cork on Sunday. Stephen Bennett on 0-10 (all frees) was Waterford’s top scorer in their 2-24 to 2-20 win over Tipperary.
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TIPPERARY v CLARE
They meet for a second successive year, with Tipperary having won the Munster semi-final by four points last season. Clare’s last championship win over Tipp was in 2018.
2021: Tipperary 3-23 Clare 2-22 (Munster semi-final)
2019: Tipperary 3-21 Clare 0-17 (Munster ‘round robin’)
2018: Clare 1-23 Tipperary 1-21 (Munster ‘round robin’)
2017: Tipperary 0-28 Clare 3-16 (All-Ireland quarter-final)
2011: Tipperary 4-19 Clare 1-19 (Munster semi-final)
*This will the 58th championship meeting between the counties with Tipperary having won 39 to Clare’s 14, with four drawn of the previous 57.
*It’s 10-2 in Tipperary’s favour in their championship clashes with Clare since 2000.
*The last draw between the counties was in 1987. Tipperary won the replay.
*Clare are having their first outing in this year’s championship while Tipperary will be hoping to bounce back with a win after losing to Waterford last Sunday. Noel McGrath (0-6, 0-2 frees) and Mark Kehoe (2-0) were Tipperary’s top scorers.
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GAA HURLING ALL-IRELAND SENIOR CHAMPIONSHIP 2022
LEINSTER
Round 1: Wexford 1-19 Galway 1-19; Kilkenny 5-23 Westmeath 1-
19; Dublin 1-20 Laois 2-15
Round 2: April 23: Galway v Westmeath; Kilkenny v Laois; Wexford v
Dublin
Round 3: May 1: Laois v Wexford; Galway v Kilkenny; Westmeath v
Dublin.
Round 4: May 14: Dublin v Kilkenny; Laois v Galway; Westmeath v
Wexford.
Round 5: May 21: Kilkenny v Wexford; Galway v Dublin; Laois v
Westmeath
Final: June 4
MUNSTER
Round 1: April 17: Waterford 2-24 Tipperary 2-20; Limerick 2-25 Cork
1-17.
Round 2: April 23: Limerick v Waterford; April 24: Tipperary v Clare
Round 3: May 1: Cork v Clare; May 8: Limerick v Tipperary
Round 4: May 15: Clare v Limerick; Waterford v Cork.
Round 5: May 22: Tipperary v Cork; Clare v Waterford.
Final: June 5
JOE McDONAGH CUP
Round 1: Antrim 3-22 Offaly 2-24; Down 1-19 Kerry 0-18; Carlow 4-
30 Meath 0-17.
Round 2: April 23: Carlow v Kerry; Offaly v Meath; April 24: Down v
Antrim
Round 3: April 30: Kerry v Meath; Antrim v Carlow; May 1: Down v
Offaly.
Round 4: May 14: Carlow v Down; Kerry v Offaly; May 15: Meath v
Antrim
Round 5: May 21: Antrim v Kerry; Offaly v Carlow; Down v Meath.
June 4: Final
ALL-IRELAND CHAMPIONSHIPS
June 11/12: Preliminary quarter-finals: Joe McDonagh Cup winners v
3 rd Munster; Joe McDonagh Cup runners-up v 3rd Leinster.
July 18: Quarter-finals
July 2/3: Semi-finals
July 17: Final
